1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a facial mask, and in particular to a mask for placing therapeutic and/or cosmetic items upon the eyes of a person, for example, while they are sleeping, the mask being washable and permeable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is often desirable to apply therapeutic agents and remedies to the face, and in particular to apply these agents for an extended period of time. Simply holding, by hand, the agent and its carrier to one""s face is impractical and uncomfortable for extended periods. In particular, it is often desirable to apply such agents, such as chemical agents or hot or cold compresses, overnight during one""s sleep. This makes the need for a facial mask particularly important.
There are several types of facial masks in the prior art. For example, Rodelli (U.S. Pat. No. 3,211,146) discloses a full facial mask made from non-porous rubber and the like used for applying medications to the face. A cosmetic face mask is disclosed by Rudo (U.S. Pat. No. 3,354,884) that has eye openings cut into the mask and is designed primarily to apply pressure to the face in order to reduce puffiness of the skin and deliver moisturizers by impregnating a pad attached to the inside of the mask. Wu (U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,829) discloses a mask that presses electrical-stimulating elements against certain portions of the face around the eyes as an acupuncture therapy. A mask for headaches is disclosed by Hyson (U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,238), wherein a rigid segment forms a mask having a plurality of gauze-like formations on the skin-facing side for administering medications. Finally, Kurimoto et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,623,733) discloses a full-face and neck mask for applying moisturizer to the face and neck, the mask having numerous straps and fasteners for applying to the head of a person.
One drawback to the prior art face masks is that most are not washable. Another drawback to the prior art is that the materials used in the mask make it difficult to wear comfortably while sleeping. Further, many are difficult to use, having numerous straps and made such that sleeping while wearing the mask is made even more difficult. Also, most of the prior art masks are not versatile enough to allow for the use of a range of therapies such as moisturizer, aromatherapy materials, and hot or cold compresses.
In particular, it has become more common to use aromatherapy as a beauty agent as well as to enhance one""s well-being. Most aromatherapy works by applying an xe2x80x9cessentialxe2x80x9d oil from various plants such as basil, lavander, chamomile, and the like to various external portions of the body, and/or to breathe the oils. It is believed that the oils are taken in by the body through the blood vessels within the nasal passageways and lungs, and have been used for centuries.
What is needed is an improved method of applying these aromatherapy agents and other agents to the face and in particular to the eye region of a person while sleeping. The prior art masks are not well suited to apply an agent to the skin, while being permeable enough to allow aromas and gases to flow through the mask so that they may also be breathed. Further, it is desirable to attain these objects in a washable mask. The present invention is directed to such a need.
It is one object of the present invention to provide facial mask that is washable.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a facial mask that is permeable to therapeutic agents such as in aromatherapy.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a facial mask that is simple and easy to use for various functions such as the application of therapeutic agents, beauty treatments, cosmetic treatments and cold or hot compresses against a person""s face.
These and other objects are achieved by providing a washable facial mask that can be used comfortably while sleeping, the mask used for holding facial contact elements such as sewn bags containing therapeutic materials against a person""s face, and in particular at the eye region. In particular, aromatherapy agents can be administered using the mask, wherein the oils are placed within the facial contact elements. The facial contact elements can also be cold or hot compress bags, or may simply be padded bags for comfort. The facial mask comprises a unitary frontal element having two eye patch regions made from a washable material such as silk, cotton, or satin. Both the frontal element and the eye patch regions may be made from the same material, and sewn together in layers, or as a one-layer unit. There may also be padding between layers of material used for the frontal element.
The two eye patch regions are coupled to straps having a fastening means for securing the mask over the head of the person, thus holding the eye patch regions over the person""s eyes. The straps are typically made from a washable material similar to the material for the frontal element and eye patch regions. Typically, the straps are also in unityxe2x80x94being cut from the same cloth materialxe2x80x94with the frontal element. The frontal element or eye patch regions may be opaque or translucent, depending upon the color, thickness, and layering of the materials used.
The eye patch regions have a pocket means for allowing placement of facial contact elements, the pocket means also made from a washable material. Typically, the eye patch regions are a washable, mesh material that allows free egress and permeability of moisture, vapor, and is non-insulating. The primary function of the pocket means is to secure and hold facial contact elements such as bags and the like within the mask, which is then in turn held against the eyes of a person wearing the facial mask.
Additional objects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description which follows.